Be Imitators Of God

”Be Imitators of God” (Ephesians 5:l-2)

It has been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. All of us at one time or another, have seen characteristics in others that we have admired and have sought to emulate. However, with the immoral character of the heroes that are offered to our generation, we need to be careful whom we select to identify with, and especially you children. Just because someone does something in a movie, that doesn’t mean that it is all right to behave that way in real life. Most often, their behavior is a perfect example of what the Lord says you ought not to do. But the Lord does not leave us without a model. The Lord Himself provides us with an example that we are called upon to imitate. It is not the immoral practices of the world, but the righteous character of Triune God that we are to pattern our lives after. And what the Spirit is saying in this text this morning is, As Christians, you are to follow the example of forgiveness and love towards your brethren which the Father and the Son have shown toward you. I.

You Are to Imitate the Father’s Forgiving Mercy (v. 1 ) . A. You Are the Objects of His Special Love Which is Revealed in His Mercy Towards You (v. lb). 1. You have been elect from eternity [cf. 1:4l. a. Before the foundation of the world, God chose you. b. Not because of anything foreseen in you. c. But out of His mere good pleasure. 2.

In time you were recreated in His image [cf. 4:23, 241. a. In the Fall, man lost the moral image of God. b. And it was restored to you in the new birth.

3.

You have been adopted as His children [cf. 1:5; 2:191. a. You have become children of God. b. You are the legal heirs of the kingdom Christ purchased.

4.

In short, you are the recipients of the divine mercy [cf. 1:7; 4:32).

a. All of this comes about through God’s mercy. b. He bestows or withholds it as He pleases. B.

Therefore You Are to Become Imitators of Him (v. la). 1. Children ought to reflect the nature of their father a. Remember, there are only two images to reflect. (il God’s. (iil And the devil’s.

b.

Whatever you do reflects one or the other. (il There is no third alternative. (iil You are either obedient, reflecting God’s image. (iiil Or you are disobedient reflecting the

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deceiver’s image. (ivl A s His children, you are obligated to reflect the righteous character of God <Matt. 5:44, 45>. 2. Therefore, you are to be merciful and forgive as He forgave you. a. Remember last week the command to be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving. b. You are to be so because God showed this same mercy and forgiveness to you. c. You are commanded to imitate the One who called you out of darkness into His glorious light. d. Therefore, you must forgive one another. (il Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is not optional . (iil The Lord warns that an unforgiving spirit is an indication of a spiritual disease. (iiil The parable of the debtor <Matt. 18:21-35>. (a) God has forgiven you an infinite debt. (bl Can’t you find it in your heart to forgive the slight offenses of your brethren? (cl Full forgiveness and reconciliation will not take place until there is repentance and confession. (dl But there must be a readiness to forgive. (el There must be a seeking after reconciliation. (fl These are the marks of a regenerate heart. (ivl So you are to imitate God in a spirit of forgiveness. 11.

Secondly, You Are to Imitate the Self-sacrificing Love of the Son of God (v. 2). A. Jesus Gave Himself Up On Your Behalf (v. 2b). 1. Christ loved you. a. The love of Christ surpasses knowledge <3:19>. b. It is the same love that husbands are to emulate with respect to their own wives < 5 : 2 5 > . c. It is a love that you are to imitate with respect to your brethren < 1 John 3:16>.

2. The expression of His love came in His offering Himself up for your sins. a. Christ’s death was an offering and a sacrifice. (il The offering is the gift offered. (iil The sacrifice is what it was used for. (iiil Christ offered Himself up as a sacrifice for sin.

b.

It fulfilled completely the OT sacrifices. (il The OT sacrifices foreshadowed the work of Christ. (a) They were prophecies of His coming sacrifice. (bl They were promises from God that He would provide that final sacrifice.

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(iil (iiil

c.

In themselves they could not take away sin. But because of their sacramental union with Christ who was to be offered, they did.

It brought full satisfaction for the sins committed. (il The guilt of the offerer was transmitted to the sacrificial animal. (iil The animal then suffered the consequences of that guilt. It was killed. (iiil Christ bore the sins of His people in His body. (ivl In offering Himself, He fully satisfied the guilt of sin .

d. He offered Himself up to take away your sins. (il He did not die to remove the guilt of everyone’s sin. (iil Only the guilt of His people. (iiil If you are truly in Christ, He was offered up in your place. (ivl He bore your guilt in His own body. (vl He was the sacrificial lamb who took away your sins. (vil He died for you! (viil In this is immeasurable love! Amazing love, how can it be that Thou my God shouldst die for me? 3.

And His sacrifice was acceptable to God as a fragrant aroma. a. The burnt offering was called a soothing aroma to God (cf. Gen. 8:21; Ex. 29:18). b. This means that it was a sacrifice which pleased Him. c. In a figurative sense, Christ’s sacrifice was like a burnt offering of a fragrant aroma, acceptable to God on your behalf.

4. Meditate on this sacrifice this week as you prepare to come to the Lord’s Table next Lord’s Day. a. It is a spiritual feeding upon Christ. b. And a remembrance of His once-for-all sacrifice. 5. So Christ loved you by laying down His life for you. B.

And You Are Called Upon to Walk i n that Same Love (v. 2a). 1. You are called to imitate this love of Christ. a. You are commanded to conduct yourselves in the same way. b. To walk in love. (il You are to called to a higher standard than the world. (iil The standard you are called to is that of Christ.

2. This means laying down your life for your brethren. a. Jesus said, ”This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you” [Jn. 15:121. (il Today, the church’s love is hardly distinguishable from the world. (iil You are called to love as Christ loved.

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b.

Then He gave them the greatest example of that love by laying down His life. (il ”Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” [Jn 15:13). (iil Do you lay claim to that kind of love? (iiil Are you putting aside your own pride and becoming a servant to the needs of your brethren? (ivl It is not the one who loves secretly in his heart, or merely by his words, but the one who loves openly who loves like Christ. (vl You must show it by your deeds, and not only by your words. (vil And your sacrifice will be a pleasant aroma in the nostrils of God as well.

Conc1usi on: A . You have been the recipients of God’s grace and adopted as His beloved children. B. Therefore you are to bear testimony to that fact by living a life which imitates the perfect character of God. C. Be imitators of the forgiving mercy of God and of the sacrificial love of Christ. D. You cannot do it apart from the grace of Christ. E. But the grace of Christ is not an excuse for inactivity. 1 . Sometimes I think the grace of Christ makes us grow lazy. 2. Christ has done it all; there is nothing left to do. 3 . It is true that Christ’s work of salvation cannot be added to. 4. But it is equally true that the one who has received this grace will spend and be spent to obey God’s Word. 5. If it is not in your heart to do so, you don’t know Christ savingly.

E.

You will not even desire obedience apart from a work of grace in your hearts. 1 . God must put the desire in your heart. 2. Once He has, it is a desire that will never be fully quenched. a. It is a desire to be like God. b. It is a desire to be forgiving and loving. 3 . If that desire is not there, cry to God for mercy. 4. He alone can save, and He is rich in mercy to all who call upon Him in truth. Amen.